A total of 85% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, a recent BrightLocal survey reports. And a 1-star increase in ratings equals a 5% to 9% increase in revenue, demonstrated a study published by the Harvard Business School. 

The conclusion: To stand out against the competition, your practice needs to have a substantial number of positive reviews on Google and other like sites, such as Facebook, Yelp, etc. But, how do you get them? This article will discuss a practical approach to standing out from competitors by using SMS (short message service or text messages) to generate patient reviews of the practice. (See “How to Find and Share Your Short URL for Customer Reviews” below.)

Identify the Competition
To identify the competitors in your area, grab a map. For urban locations, draw a circle identifying a 10-mile radius around your zip code; for rural locations, draw the radius larger to include those commercial areas closest to your zip code. Within this radius, identify providers that offer similar services. They are your colleagues, and yet, also the competition with whom you can compare your customer review efforts. 

Ask for Reviews
The simplest way to get reviews is to ask patients. Specifically, after every comprehensive exam, spend two minutes to say, “Thank you for choosing our office. You can help your friends get the same level of care by writing us a review.” I have said some version of this every day for the last six-plus years and now it’s second nature. Try it. 

Message Through SMS
In addition to asking — not instead of — use SMS messaging, also known as text messaging, to request feedback. Using a digital patient engagement platform can automate the messaging process. Our office uses one such platform, which automatically sendsa request to the patient’s cell phone two hours after the visit. I inform my patients to expect a text and “kindly click the link.”

The task of composing an SMS message that generates a high response rate can be intimidating. To help calm any fears, below is a prepared list of SMS templates that you can readily use in a variety of situations.

Template 1: Thank You for Being a Customer
This basic template is perfect as it doesn’t require your patients to give up personal data or make a big effort. Because it’s not intrusive, it can reduce overall friction with patients and lead to more online reviews.
“Thanks for visiting us {name}! To help us in the future, could you answer 1 question about your experience here {link}? Thanks, {Insert Company Name}.” 

Template 2: How Did We Do?
If you are looking to improve your service then use this template to gather your patients’ opinions.
“Hello {first name}, could you tell us how we did today? Please click here {link} to give us your feedback. We truly appreciate it!”

Template 3: Your Opinion Matters
When asking for the patient opinions, you establish a stronger relationship by allowing them to feel like they have a voice.
“Hello {first name}, your opinion matters to us. Do you have a minute to leave feedback here {link}? We appreciate your help!”

Template 4: Review a Location Visit (for offices with multiple locations)
Thank your patients for visiting your business, while also asking for their feedback about the specific location.
“Hello {first name}, Thanks for visiting our clinic @ {place}! Please help us provide others with great customer experience by giving your feedback here {link}. Thanks.”

Template 5: Review a Purchase (best used by opticians)
Positive reviews on products may result in a boost in sales. Use this template to generate more product reviews:
“Hello {first name}. Thanks for purchasing your eyewear from us. I hope you are getting lots of compliments from friends, and we want your opinion {link}. Thank you.”

Template 6: Rate Us on (a Specific Site such as Google)
If you want togenerate Google reviews and a search engine optimization boost, use this SMS template:
“Hi {first name}, it was great seeing you today. Would you take 1 minute to leave a Google review about your experience? Here’s the {link}. Thanks for your help!”
For those many consumers who already have a Google account and may be logged in, it will be almost frictionless for them to leave a review.

Template 7: Asking for a Facebook Review
Companies with a Facebook Business Page can use this SMS template to increase the number of their reviews.
“Hi {name}! We want to provide great service to your friends. Can you review us on Facebook {link}? It takes a minute, but it makes a difference. Thanks!”

The Power of Reviews
In Google’s pursuit to deliver the most relevant and beneficial results for local searches, they want to know what your business does and how your business is perceived. They do this, in large part, by seeing how many reviews you have and what your average customer rating is. One warning: Never pay for reviews. This includes offering product incentives in exchange for reviews, which would violate Google’s Terms of Service. However, an in-office incentive can be utilized. A $10 reward is placed into a jar for every positive review and distributed among all team members on a quarterly basis. The importance of online reviews for businesses is truly mind-blowing: they increase brand awareness and studies show they lead to an overall increase in profit in the long run. OM